Do all Buddhas teach? Are there likely more than 27 Buddhas that have existed, but only the 27 who taught are known about?

I've been reflecting on this for a bit. Buddhism acknowledges that any person can ultimately become a Buddha, and the Universe is fairly old, but does it say anything about all Buddhas teaching? Is it likely that there have been individuals from history, either our own or past civilizations, that rose straight up into Buddhahood without being very public about it. Either keeping totally to themselves, or only teaching a small group and not initiating a large movement?

It just seems odd to me that if any sentient being can achieve Buddhahood, and the Dharma is so well spread, that only 27 total have ever achieved Buddhahood.

Many believe Buddhahood could be achieved in a single lifetime if somebody was extremely diligent and efficient with their time, likewise, many believe that those who were on the Dharmic path in a past life will inevitably be reattracted to it in the next life. If this is at all true, it seems that there should be a whole lot more Buddhas existing in private, than the figure of 27 claimed. Does that not sound reasonable?

If we look beyond the scope of Buddhism, written history is filled with accounts of individuals who were attained enough to display all sorts of remarkable feats. Individuals who often taught, and probably were not that far from Buddhahood themselves. Also what about Buddhas or Bodhisattva's in the higher realms?

So, I'm curious how all this ties in to the idea of an individual becoming a full Buddha.

submitted by /u/Cenefx
[link] [comments]

from Buddhism https://ift.tt/2RnIN2T